Getting There
by ScarlettPlum
Summary: Can a simple procedure have an impact on Stephanie's relationship with Ranger?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the Evanovich world.**

* * *

"It's impacted."

Stephanie felt the dental chair start to rise. "I don't understand."

"One of your wisdom teeth, the one on the left is impacted, you can see right here on the x-ray, the tooth doesn't have any room to come in, so the tooth is growing down and sideways. The other tooth looks to be on the same path, but it hasn't gotten to the point where it is causing you pain and stiffness in your jaw like the left one. Although it's only a matter of time," the dentist pointed to the teeth on the x-ray.

"I had my wisdom teeth removed when I was seventeen, did they grow back?"

"You only had the top two removed. Your dentist probably thought there would be enough room for the bottom two, but unfortunately for you, it didn't work out that way. You're going to need to get those removed as soon as possible."

Stephanie sighed, just great. She'd already had to shovel out eight hundred dollars to get her car's transmission rebuilt. Work was slow right now, and as usual money was extremely tight.

"How much are we talking about?"

"Do you have dental insurance?"

Stephanie sighed again, one of the many downsides of working for Vinnie, no health and no dental coverage. "No."

"Well, a simple extraction can be around a hundred; yours unfortunately are not going to be a simple extraction with the way both teeth are laying. This is just an estimate, but I would say anywhere from four hundred to five hundred a tooth."

Stephanie gasped, "A thousand dollars?"

"That doesn't include sedation, and you will need to be put under for this. I'm going to say around two to three thousand when it's all said and done. I might be off a few hundred either way. Janice up front will give you the names of a couple of oral surgeons we recommend. When you call for your consultation, just tell them our office referred you, and they'll fax us any forms they need. Just keep on alternating between ibuprofen and acetaminophen. That should help with the pain and stiffness. You can also use some numbing gel and ice packs. You'll want to get this taken care of as soon as possible though."

* * *

Four days later, three thousand dollars hadn't magically appeared in her checking account, but the pain was worse. Since she had to only chew on the right side, it was getting sore now too. She was meeting Marylou for a quick lunch at Cluck in a Bucket. It would indeed be quick for her, since she had to drink hers from a straw. Marylou waved from a booth at the window and Stephanie could see the tray in front of her. She got in line and ordered a Chocolate milkshake that she had a coupon for. All things considered, it was a very cheap meal and it was much easier to drink then to chew.

Stephanie dropped down on the seat across from Marylou, "Hey, sorry I'm running a little late, traffic was backed up due to a fender bender."

"I've only been here about five minutes; I just wanted to make sure we had a seat before the lunch crowd came in. How are you doing Steph?"

Marylou was the first person she had shared her depressing dilemma with. She had offered to loan her a few hundred, but Stephanie knew Lenny's business had slowed down, and she wouldn't dream of taking their money. The same was true for Val and Albert. Stephanie knew her parents were helping them out a little, so she couldn't ask either of them.

"I'm okay, I'll figure something out." What exactly, she wasn't sure. The oral surgeons both used the same finance company, so she could make monthly payments for the procedure, but somehow her information kept mysteriously disappearing. She had been on the phone for a minimum of an hour each day, and everything would be settled, then when she would call the doctor's office back to get her appointment scheduled they would call for confirmation from the finance company, and she wouldn't even be in their system. She didn't know if a former skip was working for them and deleting her account and information as payback, or if the finance company was trying to stall so she would die from an infection.

Marylou looked at Stephanie for a minute and then started to speak, "I still don't…"

"No."

Marylou huffed, "Well why not! The man has loaned you car after car, expensive cars no less. What would three thousand mean to him? It's probably pocket change."

"He's loaned them, I've never gone to him and asked for them or money and I won't now. This is my problem, I'll deal with it."

"You're being stubborn! Why don't you ask him to let you work for him a little while, and then you could get dental coverage, and the problem would be solved."

"Pre- existing condition. No insurance company would touch it," Stephanie sucked the last of her shake until it made a slurping sound.

Marylou jabbed a fry in her mouth, "So what, you're just going to suck your meals through a straw from now on?"

Stephanie watched as Marylou chewed the salty fry. If she bought a blender she could probably puree all of her favorite foods. Probably they would taste the same. Big Mac smoothies, vanilla/fry milkshakes. Probably there wouldn't be any difference at all. Plus it would be more convenient. Just throw it in a cup and go. Her mouth started salivating at the thought of lasagna and garlic bread.

A bright flash of pink caught her eye breaking her out of her food induced daydreams. Coming through the door was Grandma Mazur and her new BFF, Wilma Wilson. Stephanie stared at Grandma's sweat pants and white tennis shoes with gold and silver laces. The pants were Angie's, a gift from Albert's mom. She had thought all young girls liked Juicy Couture and had gotten her a pair of hot pink sweats with Juicy written across the seat. Angie however found them to be sexist and demeaning to women and refused to wear them. Grandma however had no problem wearing Juicy across her butt, so she was now the proud owner. Since Grandma and Angie could wear the same size, Grandma told Angie to pass on all of Grandma's Kloughn's gifts and she would put them to good use.

Grandma and Wilma made their way over to Stephanie and Marylou's booth and sat down, Wilma seating beside of Stephanie. "We saw your car out front and we had to stop in and tell you the good news. I found you a dentist that can take out those wisdom teeth. He can do it day after tomorrow, but he needs to see you in the morning to take a look."

Stephanie's heart started pounding with excitement, "How much is he going to charge?"

Grandma Mazur reached across the table and patted Stephanie's hand, "Nothing. I've worked it all out and he's going to take good care of you."

Stephanie's touched her sore left cheek, it was almost over. Two more days and she would be pain free, and she could eat whatever she wanted.

"How on earth did you manage to get Steph free treatment, Mrs. Mazur?" Marylou asked.

"Well, turns out Harry Benson down at the center use to be Dr. Harry Benson, D.D.S. and a bunch of other initials. Anyway, he said he use to take wisdom teeth out all of the time. Turns out dentists back in the day could do more for their patients then they do now days. One doctor wants to send you to another for a procedure when probably if he really wanted to he could figure out how to do it himself."

Stephanie's excitement quickly started fading, "Has he ever actually cut out wisdom teeth, because mine have to be cut out, not pulled?"

"Why of course, and although it's been a while he said it's like riding a bike, you don't ever forget."

Wilma nodded in agreement, "I've heard that before, although I never rode a bike, except for the stationary one down at the center. I think it's also like riding a horse."

"I didn't know you rode horses Wilma, what a pip."

"Oh, I've never rode a horse either, but they say the same thing."

Marylou shook her head no, "If you fall off a horse, you should get back on."

"Oh, I don't want to learn now. I think I'm a little too old for that. If I fell off, something would definitely break."

Marylou and Stephanie grinned at each other.

"Can he even still practice at his age?" Stephanie asked bringing the conversation back to her teeth.

"Why of course. It's not like they took his license. He just retired. You know what they say, once a doctor always a doctor."

Marylou shook her head no again, "I think that's once a Marine always a Marine."

"Well, them too. He's gonna do this for you on account of he wants Myrtle Steele's dead husbands golf clubs."

"I'm confused; do you have Myrtle Steele's dead husband's golf clubs?" Stephanie asked, her excitement completely gone. Free dental treatment, she should have known it was too good to be true.

"No, I'm trading a broach I've got that Myrtle wants for the golf clubs," Grandma reached into her purse and pulled out a folded up Kleenex and unwrapped it.

It was in the shape of a big gold butterfly with green and red stones on the wings and two small purple stones for the eyes. "I've never seen this before," Stephanie said reaching out and tracing a finger over it. She would have remembered seeing this. She wouldn't exactly call it pretty. Gaudy maybe, but not pretty.

"I've had this for years, just sitting in my jewelry box. It's over sixty years old so it's an antique. My mother got it for me at Ben Franklin when I was a girl for my birthday."

"Grandma, I don't want you to give up something so special and sentimental to you."

Grandma waved a hand dismissively, "I never cared much for it. Mother, God rest her soul, didn't have very good taste. I'd much rather put it to good use by helping out my granddaughter."

"Thanks Grandma, but why does Myrtle want it, if it's been sitting in your jewelry box all this time?"

Wilma answered, "She don't hear to good and one day we were talking about family heirlooms. She thought Edna said her mother got it from Benjamin Franklin. She also cheated me at bingo. She said she would play my card while I went to the restroom, and when I came back she was yelling out Bingo and it was my card. Then she said it was her original card, and handed me the losing card. I knew the winner was mine, because I had smudged my lipstick on it. Myrtle Steele is a no good cheat and a snob to boot!"

"How could she possibly think your mother got it from Benjamin Franklin," Marylou asked.

Wilma sighed shaking her head, "It's a good thing you're pretty honey. I said Myrtle is a snob and a cheat, not stupid. Ben would have been close to two hundred years old if her mother had gotten it from him. She thinks she bought it at an auction. Can you believe she'd cheat Edna this way? That broach would be priceless, and she's trading it for an old pair of golf clubs signed by Arnold Palmer. She's deceitful too! Myrtle Steele is a deceitful, no good cheat and snob."

Marylou's eyes flashed and Stephanie knew she was going to tell Wilma they were also being deceitful, but Stephanie shook her head no. It was a lost cause when an older person got an idea in their head. There was no changing it. And there was that rule about respecting your elders. They seemed to take it real personal if you tried to correct them.

Grandma shifted her teeth around, "It's alright. She would never do anything with those golf clubs anyways. They'd just sit in the closet until she died, because they don't have any kids to pass them on to on account that Stan her husband was impotent."

Wilma turned to Marylou, "That means his winky wouldn't work."

Marylou opened her mouth, "I know what impotent means, and you mean to tell me that his winky didn't work the entire time they were married?"

"Nope, married for forty-two years and never did anything. Rumor is she didn't lose her virginity until she started dating Mack Drusco down at the center."

They all sat in silence for a moment, thinking about not being intimate with a man until your seventies. When most people had slowed down or stopped, she was just getting started. Stephanie bit her lip to keep from laughing at the thought of Mack bragging to his friends over a game of canasta that he had landed a virgin.

"Well, we gotta make the drop, here is the address. You need to be there at five. They've got to move fast on account of Harry is using Dr. Watson's office and he's retiring in two weeks, so they're working you in a chair before his appointments. He said something about you'd need to sign some papers and to keep this quite. I guess people would be trying to get free dental work all the time if they knew about this operation. So we got to keep this on the low down. Let's roll Wilma."

Stephanie could feel Marylou's stare burning a hole into her. Stephanie immediately recognized this as her incredulous mom look – although it had never been directed at her before. She continued to look out the window, hoping she would stop.

"You are not seriously going to consider doing this are you? I mean you must know this is a horrible idea. You could not possibly consider letting a dentist who could quite possibly be senile, cut open your gums and rip out your teeth?"

Stephanie winced and put a hand back over her cheek. "I don't have a choice Mare. I mean Grandma's gone to all of this trouble and it would seem rude not to take it. Plus it's free. The rate I'm going, I'm never going to get these taken out by one of the other oral surgeons. I bet Dr. Benson was really good back when he was in practice."

"How good could he be Steph, he retired and he's still here in Trenton hanging out at the senior's center bartering dental care for golf clubs."

"Hey, not just any golf clubs, these were autographed by Arnold Palmer. Even I know he's a big deal. Maybe even bigger then Tiger."

Marylou laughed humorously, "You're actually going to do it aren't you. You're going to let some stranger whom your grandmother has cheat bartered with, do surgery in your mouth."

"Marylou, I don't have a choice. I am out of options! I've got no money; I can't find a second job. Restaurants won't even consider hiring me because of my Cluck in a Bucket incident. No one else is hiring except ShowGirls strip club, and let's face it, I can't dance and my boobs are too small, so they wouldn't hire me either."

"Ranger could…"

"I know you don't understand this, but I cannot go to him and beg him for money. Our friendship is so uneven as it is and I can't always expect him to help me out. My only other option is to start working a street corner on Stark. I think considering that option, this one is the safer choice. If I don't get these out, I could die from an infection anyway. If it's my time, it's my time. I'll be asleep and isn't that the way we all want to go, peacefully in our sleep?"

Marylou started crying, "Don't say that, it's not your time. You're my best friend, I love you!"

Stephanie's eyes started watering, "I love you to Mare. Don't worry. I really think it will all work out."

* * *

It was not working out. Before they left Cluck in a Bucket, Grandma and Wilma were back with bad news. Apparently the golf clubs weren't actually autographed by Arnold Palmer. When Grandma and Wilma got them lugged out to the car, their palms were sweaty and Arnold's name smudged right off. Myrtle had used a washable marker when she forged it. Then she locked the door and refused to give Grandma back the ugly broach from Ben Franklin. When Wilma threatened to fight her, she threatened to call the cops, so they were forced to retreat.

So that's how they got there, sitting in front of one of Wilma's friend's house who had a collection of JC Penney and Sears Roebucks catalogs dating back to the sixties. Wilma remembered Arnold had a clothing line and sure enough there on page 195 was a copy of his autograph. Wilma ripped the page out to take with them, and after they stopped to purchase a permanent marker she was going to forge his autograph on the golf clubs. According to Wilma and Grandma, it was no big deal; a name is just a name. She would do such a good job that the authenticity would never ever be questioned.

Stephanie didn't particularly trust anyone from the senior center at this point, and she doubted Harry was even a real dentist. He was probably a butcher, pretending to be a dentist. She also didn't think Wilma was a good influence on her grandma either. She hated to do it, because Grandma was having a lot of fun, but she might have to tell her mom about Thelma and Louise. The rate they were going it was only a matter of time until they drove Big Blue off a cliff running from the cops.

* * *

As Stephanie pulled away from Dr. Watson's office, she couldn't say she felt better about the procedure that would take place in the morning, before Dr. Watson's first patient came in. Dr. Benson seemed like a nice man. He told several jokes to try to put her mind at ease. So what if he dropped the instruments a few times. She certainly had her share of klutzy days when everything slipped right out of her hands. She should probably even feel guilty knowing that he wasn't even getting authentic autographed golf clubs. She had to give Wilma her due though; the signature looked identical to the one in the catalog. Truth was she was in so much agony she didn't care. Another day and she might resort to trying to take her own wisdom teeth out. She had held out hope that things would clear at the oral surgeons she first tried, but she still kept getting deleted from the computer system. Dr. Benson was her only hope.

She dropped off her prescription for valium at the pharmacy. She had never taken it before, but Dr. Benson assured her it would make her feel wonderful and completely relaxed. She was to take it with a sip of water thirty minutes before she came to the office. She needed to stop by her mom's to make arrangements, since she was going to drive her, but there was no way she could suffer through dinner not being able to eat with everyone else.

She managed to make it to the Tasty Pastry, ten minutes before they closed. They were now serving fruit smoothies, so Stephanie knew they could whip her up a doughnut shake. The girl might have looked a little disgruntled when she had to mess up her clean blender, but hey, you never know when someone might order a smoothie for dinner so this would be a lesson to her. You don't close up shop before quitting time.

Besides this could very well be her last meal, a Boston Cream and Jelly doughnut milkshake. She wasn't going to feel guilty. The girl could just wash the blender again. She would just keep a close eye on her to make sure she didn't add any spit to it.

The jingle from the bell above the door didn't cause her to stop watching the girl like a hawk. When the girl pushed the lid on top of the Styrofoam cup, Stephanie smiled. The girl didn't return it, however her green eyes about bugged out her head when she looked at the next customer. Stephanie glanced over her shoulder and realized it was Grandma Bella. She hadn't run into her since she and Joe had called another time out. She didn't know if she should speak or just walk out the door. Either way would probably get a curse put on her, so she opted to just turn and leave. She had just started to head out the door when she realized she hadn't paid for her doughnut shake, so she mumbled a quiet hello as she walked back over to the cash register.

Grandma Bella ignored her and ordered two jelly doughnuts, "I need them for a special dessert. My Joey is bringing a lady friend to dinner tonight"

The cashier swallowed hard and pointed to Stephanie, "She just bought the last one of the day."

Jeez, she couldn't just say, sorry we're all sold out. Grandma Bella turned to face Stephanie, "You. You take everything. You take my doughnut; you take my Joey's heart and stomp on it. I curse you Stephanie Plum."

Stephanie slapped a ten down on the counter, "I need my change." If she could just make it out the door before Grandma Bella's eyes rolled back down in her head, she wouldn't have to hear the curse or vision. Everyone knew if you didn't hear it, it didn't count.

The cashier was transfixed on Grandma Bella though, and didn't seem to be capable of moving.

"Forget it," Stephanie turned on her heel and had her hand on the doorknob, but she wasn't fast enough.

"The words that flow out of your mouth have crushed my Joey's heart. You take my doughnut and put it in your mouth. So your mouth will seal your fate! You will choke on….you will choke on….a thing a ma bob!"

Stephanie's knees buckled and her cup dropped to the floor. Most people would think that was a vague prediction, or that Grandma Bella couldn't think of a real word,but they hadn't just left a dentist's office where the dentist examining her had dropped his instruments a total of four times and each time referred to them as thing a ma bobs.

Grandma Bella smirked at Stephanie as she stepped over her and left the shop.

The cashier finally found her voice, "Every time she comes in here, you can just feel the aura of evil floating around. I totally almost pee'd my pants when she said a thing name Bob will choke you. Here, there's some shake left in the blender if you want."

Stephanie looked down at the shake that was leaking out of her downturned cup, "Actually, I lost my appetite. Give me some paper towels and I'll wipe this up."

"No problem, I'll swipe it with the mop. You gonna be alright?"

"Probably not," Stephanie said as she pushed up off the floor.

The cashier was now sympathetic, "Just try to avoid big guys named Bob, and maybe you can break the curse."

If only, Stephanie thought warily. If Bob was an actual man, she might be able to stand a chance. She'd certainly out lived several murder attempts. A dental tool, she wasn't so sure about.

She slipped inside her Honda Civic, and laid her head on the steering wheel. Was this really how it was going to end? She thought back to Grandpa Plum's words from when she was a little girl. If it's your time to go, you're a going to go. If it wasn't a thing a ma bob slipping down her throat while she was unconscious during dental surgery, it could be a bus that hit her crossing the street. She knew her neighbor upstairs was smoking with an oxygen tank, so it was only a matter of time before that ended badly for her and all of the other tenants.

She took a deep breath and started her car. She would just call her mom, no sense in letting her see how upset she was and worry her. If her stupid mouth wasn't hurting so bad, she'd drive up to Point Pleasant and sit and watch the waves roll in. She put the car in gear and headed back home; she'd spend what was maybe left of her life watching Rex run on his wheel.

* * *

The next morning, Helen and Grandma Mazur were at Stephanie's an hour before her appointment. Last night Stephanie had sounded anxious. When she said that she was taking valium before her appointment, Edna decided she would cancel her hair appointment and go with Helen. Stephanie had never taken valium before and she had always been sensitive to medications. Alcohol always knocked her out, but even as a child any medicine that was supposed to make her drowsy, hyped her up. Once when she was twelve she had rearranged the furniture downstairs after they had all gone to bed. Both Helen and Frank had tripped over the end table when they came downstairs that morning. Then once when she had taken a cold medicine with codeine in it, she had actually bitten Valerie and Shirley. This was unchartered territory with the valium, so just in case Stephanie decided to rearrange the office furniture while trying to bite the other patients, Edna was riding along as reinforcements.

Helen rapped on the door twice and was surprised to have a very happy Stephanie open the door. She had picked up on her nervousness the night before.

"Good morning," Stephanie grinned while motioning for them to come in.

"You look well rested, did you sleep alright?"

"Not one bit. I tossed and turned, and then I gave up and cleaned my apartment and made arrangements for either way."

"What kind of arrangements for either way?" Grandma Mazur asked.

"There's a list in my top dresser drawer if anything should go wrong," Stephanie said. "I'm not as worried about it now, but if Thing a Ma Bob does end up choking me to death, or if Dr. Benson's hand slips and he cuts my throat instead, I've made arrangements for Rex and my worldly possessions," she waved her hand around at the room. "It's kind of slim pickings, but it's clean now."

"Why on earth do you think you're going to die?" Helen asked horrified.

Stephanie shrugged, "Just being prepared. It happens."

"You look awfully relaxed for a woman who might meet her maker soon," Grandma smiled.

"Shh, don't tell Dr. Benson, but I took my medicine early, I really like valium. I was worried before, but now not so much." Stephanie grabbed her purse and an envelope off of the table. "I need to drop this in the mail on the way out. This is my other arrangement, if I make it through the surgery.

Stephanie stopped and looked seriously at Helen and Edna, "I feel so much wiser now. Like I have new wisdom or something. Mom, if I'm still alive when this is over, can we go to Pino's for lunch, I'm so hungry?"

Grandma smiled at Helen, "This is going to be fun. We never get to see her drunk, because she passes out. I like her all mellow."

Stephanie snorted, "I am not drunk. I had to swallow my pill with one little sip of water."

"What dosage did he give you?" Helen asked warily.

Stephanie shrugged," I can't remember, but I know the pharmacist said it was a high dose when he filled it."

Helen and Edna looked at each other, "Lord help us."

* * *

Helen was relieved to see the waiting room was empty when they got there. Stephanie had laughed and sang along with the radio at the top of her lungs on the way over. She was very entertaining to them, but she didn't want anyone else to witness it. She signed Stephanie in, after getting her to sit down.

She grabbed a few magazines on her way back to her seat.

Stephanie held hers up close and then farther away, "The words look funny. Oh man, now I need glasses too!"

"Nope, you are drunk as a skunk," Grandma said taking the magazine away from her. The radio station was an instrumental one and Stephanie laid her head back listening intently and then started humming along. Helen asked her to keep it quiet.

"Oh, I remember this song. Grandma you use to sing and dance to it."

Grandma nodded, "'These Boots Are Made for Walkin', Nancy Sinatra. I had a pair of white knee high boots that I think this song was written for." Grandma got up and started doing the swim and the pony.

"Will you sit down before you break a hip?" Helen hissed.

Stephanie stood up from her chair and rubbed the back of her neck. Two seconds later Ranger and Tank strode through the door.

Stephanie grinned. "Look who's here. Yo! I didn't know we had the same dentist. It's a small world isn't it?"

Ranger smiled at her and said hello to Helen and Grandma Mazur.

"No, I don't go to the dentist here Babe, and neither do you."

"It's an unusual circumstance that I happen to be here."

Then she seemed to ponder why Ranger and Tank were also here.

"Oh no, is my dentist your skip?"

Ranger tucked a curl behind her ear, "No."

Stephanie loudly whispered in his ear, "Is it me and Grandma because of the forgery thing?"

Ranger quirked an eyebrow at her.

"It kinda falls into that grey area. Did Arnold call?"

"Babe, I have no idea what you're talking about. I heard you were having some work done and I wanted to stop by and check on you before I have to go out of town."

Stephanie placed her hand over her heart, "That is so sweet. You came for me in my time of need before you go into the wind. You are such a good friend!" Stephanie snorted, "Wind, friend. I'm a poet and don't know it, I can make a rhyme anytime."

Helen patted the chair beside her, "Okay, why don't you sit back down now and let's listen for them to call your name. Stephanie seems to be a little sensitive to the valium she had to take before she came in this morning."

Edna laughed, "She's high as a kite! This is the first time I've ever seen her drunk. She usually passes out and sleeps it off. I wish she was like this more often. She's very entertaining; it'd really liven up the holiday parties. Now Valerie, Stephanie's sister, she gets mean. Get a couple of drinks in her and she likes to fight. Seems me and Helen are the only ones in our family that can hold our liquor."

Stephanie agreed and grinned up at Tank, "She'd kick your ass!" she play punched him in the stomach. "Ow," she shook her hand out. "It's like hitting a brick wall."

Stephanie went to sit back down beside of Helen and patted the chair next to her for Ranger to sit in.

"They should have just given you a couple of glasses of wine, and you could have slept through the whole procedure," Ranger said.

"I couldn't eat or drink anything after midnight. The valium's okay it makes me feel…."

Tank decided to help her out since she couldn't seem to think of a word, "Euphoric, exhilarated, intoxicated, blissful?"

"Nope. It makes me feel happy," she leaned against Ranger, "I'm so happy you came. I thought about you a lot last night. Hey, how'd you know I was going to be here anyway?"

Ranger just kissed the side of her head. Stephanie didn't seem to mind that he didn't answer. Ranger thought she had fallen asleep, until he felt her laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"It's our song, they're playing our song!"

"We don't have a song Babe."

Stephanie sat up and listened for a few seconds, "NA NA NA NA… You got me and baby I got you, Babe, I got you Babe," Stephanie stood up and proceeded to belt out Sonny and Cher's, 'I Got You Babe'.

Helen tried to get her to sit back down, but as it was in the car when the song Ironic came on, Stephanie felt the need to sing along.

Edna laughed as Tank chuckled silently. Ranger just looked amused. Helen knew Stephanie was going to die of embarrassment when she sobered up and found out about her karaoke episodes, but what else could she do. Finally the song ended and Stephanie laughed and sat down on Ranger's lap, "Now you know. We have a song."

She didn't get back up, instead snuggling against his chest in contentment. Ranger wrapped his arms around her.

The door opened and a young woman said, "Stephanie Plum, you can come on back." She then looked at Ranger and said, "Dr. Hamilton's ETA is fifteen minutes, we're going to go ahead and get her prepped."

Stephanie looked a little puzzled, but didn't comment.

"We'll be right here when you're through. Everything will be fine," Helen said as Stephanie walked past.

She reached the door and turned back around and walked back to Ranger. He stood up when she reached his chair.

"I just want you to know that I love you more than I've ever loved anyone," then she kissed him softly on his lips.

She looked over at Tank and said, "Au revoir, mon ami Pierre."

Helen and Edna sat in stunned silence at Stephanie's confession. Helen could hear Stephanie asking the girl if she was new, because she hadn't seen her the other day. Ranger seemed a little stunned himself, but quickly recovered and strode over to the receptionist's window and told her he was going to need to see her phone that she was recording with.

The woman mumbled an apology and handed over the phone. Ranger checked a couple of things and handed it back giving her a cold look. He then took his seat next to Helen.

"I'm overstepping my bounds here, but I've arranged for another surgeon and some of his staff to travel to this facility to perform Steph's procedure. I just didn't feel comfortable with a retired dentist who hasn't been in practice for several years working on her. I hate that she's suffered for the past several days, but I just became aware of the situation yesterday."

"That's very considerate of you Mr. Manoso, but I'm not sure Stephanie has the finances for this," Helen replied.

"It's all been taken care of Mrs. Plum and also I've taken the liberty and made arrangements for my house keeper to take care of Stephanie while I'm out of town."

"That's very thoughtful, but not necessary, Stephanie can stay with us for a few days until she's recovered."

"At my apartment Stephanie will be just a few feet from the bathroom, and she won't have to go up any steps. That will be a concern for today since she'll likely be unsteady on her feet. Ella, has already gone over the instructions from Dr. Hamilton. She'll keep you updated, and you can speak with Stephanie later today."

Edna could feel the tension coming from Helen. "Well that's real thoughtful and practical. It would be hard for Stephanie to have to go up and down the stairs, and it'll be a lot easier on you to Helen, not having to run up and down the stairs all day."

"Well I hardly mind, she is my daughter. Why don't we let Stephanie decide when she comes out?"

They sat in complete silence after that and thirty-five minutes later the same girl that took Stephanie back was helping her walk back out. She had a hand under Stephanie's arm. Stephanie's mouth was stuffed full of gauze and she was totally out of it, barely shuffling her feet along.

Ranger stood and walked over and scooped Stephanie up in his arms, while Tank held the door open for them. Helen and Edna had no choice but to follow them out. It looked like Ranger was taking Stephanie with him.

"It's fine Helen. I think she's in good hands."

* * *

Edna came into the kitchen four hours later to find Helen sitting at the table staring off into space.

"Have you heard from Steph?"

"Yes, Ella's called twice and said Stephanie had managed some ice-cream and soup and was sleeping."

Edna sat down at the table beside of her. "Want to talk about it?"

"Has Stephanie ever said anything to you about her feelings for Ranger?"

"No, but Stephanie keeps things personal like that to herself. Always has. I don't think Ranger even knew from the look on his face."

Helen looked over at her mother. "That man scares me. I think he's a dangerous man, but yet he treats Stephanie so delicately and tender. It almost brought tears to my eyes."

"Well, I think he's head over heels in love with her. No man goes to all of the trouble he did today, for just a friend. Plus no friend would put a bloody piece of gauze back in your mouth and wipe spittle from your chin."

"It's crazy, but when he kissed her forehead and whispered Babe after he pushed the gauze back in her mouth, that was one of the most romantic things I've ever witnessed. I guess I'm just a little confused. Why do you think they aren't together?"

Edna shrugged her shoulders, "One of life's great mysteries. Guess we'll just have to see how it all works out."

"I wonder if Stephanie will remember anything that happened today."

"I don't know, but just in case she doesn't I don't think we should tell her. We'll just let them figure it out for themselves. Can you believe that big one has a sissy name like Pierre?"

* * *

Ranger had been gone for two days checking on the other branches. He would be heading back to Trenton in the morning. Due to flight delays from bad weather, he was staying overnight in Charleston South Carolina. He found a nice hotel with a restaurant and bar inside. He was almost through with his dinner, when the waitress brought him a drink, compliments from the lady at the bar. Ranger had felt her stares during his meal. He could tell even from a distance that she was beautiful. Long straight blond hair, killer legs along with a killer body he was sure.

Over the years, he had encountered this many times when he traveled. He knew she was a sure thing, with no strings attached who would go on her separate way in the morning. He thought briefly on when this type of hook up lost its appeal. Sometime after Stephanie. He slipped the waitress some money and told her to tell the lady thank you, and that he would cover the next few drinks.

She would be having them alone though. He belonged to a chipmunk cheek girl back in Trenton. Ranger walked out of the bar and went back to his room. He stripped off his socks and shoes, and shirt and propped a couple of pillows behind his back. He got out his phone.

_I just want you to know that I love you more than I've ever loved anyone._

He replayed it ten times before calling Tank to check in.

"How's she doing?"

"Still has some swelling, but she's gone on back to her apartment."

Ranger knew she wouldn't stay more than a couple of days. He was still hoping she would be there when he got back though.

"Say, you still thinking about hiring a woman?"

Ranger had thought about it before. It would be beneficial at times to have a woman on staff.

"Why?"

"Well, we got a resume in the mail this morning. Stephanie Plum, seems she's got some experience in skip tracing."

"Well, I think you should set up an interview as soon as possible. I'll be home tomorrow."

Ranger scrolled through his phone and laughed as Stephanie sang her heart out to him. He watched it and froze the screen on her picture. Now he knew her true feelings.

"Have I got you Babe?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own the world of Stephanie Plum or the characters in it.**

* * *

"If you stall on me at this stoplight, so help me I will get out and shoot the gas tank and blow you up myself," Stephanie threatened her Honda that had cost her a small fortune already. The check engine light had suddenly come on. It was like a flashing warning sign of imminent doom.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath counting to ten to try to calm down. She was mad, and sometimes when she was mad she cried and there would be no crying until she had gotten lunch from Pino's. She reached the count of eight, before the driver behind her laid down on their horn. Stephanie jerked her eyes open and glanced in her rearview mirror at the irate man behind her giving her the finger. Apparently the light had changed to green. Stephanie stomped the gas and the car sputtered but miraculously went on. Maybe it would make it another day.

She pulled into Pino's lot and debated if she should turn the car off or leave it running. She decided the way her day was going it would probably blow up, taking the other cars in the lot with hers. Most of them were cop cars too, and she didn't need that on her shoulders, so she turned it off, praying it would start again.

If she hadn't of been so stressed over her car and if she was being completely honest, over her interview at Rangeman, she might would have noticed Joe's SUV. As soon as she opened the door, everyone's eyes were on her and then they immediately went to the booth where Joe Morelli sat with a lunch date and then they went back to Stephanie. It was always awkward the first time you ran into an ex, especially when they were on a date and you were alone. Mix in that everyone was waiting for you to throw a hissy fit; it really upped the awkward factor.

Stephanie could feel the flush heat her cheeks and neck, I will not cry, I will not cry, she silently chanted to herself. First Ranger's super spy, Natasha and now this. She would be lying if she said it didn't hurt seeing Joe with another woman, because it did, big time. She knew it was inevitable, but it still hurt seeing it with her own two eyes.

She managed a brief nod to Joe, and then walked up to the counter to place her order. A day like this, she needed good food and her best friend. She ordered a meatball sub for herself and Marylou, and sat down at the counter to wait for it.

No one was staring at her now. She guessed since she didn't run screaming like a banshee, hurling herself on top of Joe's friend ripping her hair out, everyone decided to go back to their previous conversations. The bell rang again above the door, and in walked Big Dog and Carl. Carl's face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning and he headed straight for the stool beside of her. He looked back at Joe and did the head nod acknowledgment and then looked back to Stephanie.

"Did we miss the cat fight?"

Stephanie rolled her eyes, "No."

"Well here, I got something for you. Mooner and Dougie were having a sale and they had a box of old Happy Meal toys," he handed her a little green covered jeep. "Pull the handle back right there."

Stephanie looked down at the vehicle and pulled the lever back, in a Spanish voice she heard, "I jus like to blow things up!"

Carl and Big Dog howled with laughter.

Crap, she could feel her throat lumping up and her eyes tearing. She laid the truck back down on the counter and turned her head away from Carl.

"Oh come on! That's funny. You're all the time blowing things up, get it?" Carl laughed.

Now that was mean. It was never her fault when things blew up and she had no idea why everyone always blamed her for doing it. Stephanie felt the banshee coming on. Slowly she was making her way to the surface, it had just been one of those days and Carl had pushed her last button. Fight or flight.

"Steph, your order's up," Sal called out.

Good, that decided it, flight it would be. If she kicked Carl's butt, she'd have to go downtown and she did not need that today. Not making a witty come back because she was afraid they could see tears in her eyes, she silently slid off the stool and walked to the cash register. Man, she was getting old. She never ignored an insult without making a comeback. She paid for the food and looked back over her shoulder as she walked to the door, shooting her best if looks could kill look at Carl, and if maybe she glanced at Joe's date before she turned it off, it was probably an accident.

* * *

Marylou was at the door before she could even knock. One look at Stephanie's face and the bag of comfort food in her hand and her best friend instincts kicked into high gear. She ushered Stephanie into the kitchen, grabbed a couple of plates and climbed up in a chair to reach the cabinet above the refrigerator where she stashed the good cookies.

They sat in silence eating for a while, waiting until the other was ready to talk. They'd had these little impromptu lunches numerous times over the years. Sometimes problems were solved, sometimes they just vented, other times they just cried. But they always felt better when they were through. That was one of the joys of having a lifelong best friend. They were just there for each other.

"I think I'm having a mid-life crisis. If I were a guy, I'd get a sports car and start dating someone younger and way out of my league. I also have a bad case of PMS, and I'm a little emotional today."

Marylou chewed her bite and washed it down with some diet coke, waiting for Stephanie to elaborate. She didn't.

"I'm taking it the interview didn't go well," Marylou coaxed.

Stephanie blew a stray curl out of her face. "I got up and got ready; I even got there fifteen minutes early. I was waiting for my appointment with Ranger, I mean Mr. Manoso. I was practicing some typical answers to questions in my head, like what do you think you would contribute to this company if you're hired, when it hit me. I can't climb a rope."

Marylou's eyes widened, "What rope? They make you climb a rope?"

"The rope in P.E. class. All through school, I never could climb that stupid rope. I would always just keep moving back in the line so it was never my turn and I got by with it. After a couple of weeks we'd move on to something else."

"Is that a requirement? Rope climbing?"

Stephanie shrugged, "I don't know, maybe. It just bothered me that I couldn't do it. Then it hit me that there's a lot of things I can't do, that the guys can. I don't know any Judo, Jujutsu, or Karate. I'm not that great with my gun. Okay, I'm scared of my gun. What on earth do I think I would contribute to Ranger's company? I'm not going to be able to hide at the back of the line," Stephanie got up and started pacing. "Then I started thinking now what. After my non insurance scare the other week, I know I need a better job with benefits. I decided I was going to make some changes, but when it all boils down to it, I'm not qualified to do anything. Especially work at Rangeman."

"Steph, that was just your nerves talking. Everyone gets nervous when they have an interview."

"Yeah, well then Natasha walked in and it was abundantly clear, I did not belong there. You should have seen this woman. She had on a white designer suit that cost more than three months' rent, perfect French manicure, shoes to die for, a designer brief case and a body even I noticed."

"She was interviewing too?"

"Yep. Not only was I out dressed and she was better looking, but she can climb a rope. She can probably repel back down upside down without breaking a nail. Then she could probably take out the whole room of men three times her size with her martial arts skills and kill me with a nail file," Stephanie looked off out the window, "She and Ranger had worked numerous missions together and were lovers. She had been out of the country for the past couple of years. They agreed to see other people, which explains why he hung around with me. He always knew she would be back and they would reconnect, so he never planned for anything serious with me. I was just his friend who made him laugh. She held his heart."

"Oh, Stephanie. I'm so sorry. I'm just, I mean I always thought, I don't know what to say!" Marylou started to cry. "It wasn't supposed to turn out this way."

Stephanie started crying too, "I know. Then I ran into Joe and he was with some woman and then Carl was a big jerk, and then my car is acting up again. My life is a country song!"

Marylou laughed and wiped her nose, "But you're a survivor Stephanie. You're strong. You will find the job you love and the man you are supposed to be with. I thought it would be Ranger, but if he's such a jerk, let him have Miss Perfect. Ranger's nice looking, but he still makes me want to wet my pants."

Stephanie sat back down in her chair and sighed, "Yeah, he's pretty great."

"I can't believe Natasha rubbed your face in it though. Why on earth did she tell you all of that?"

Stephanie didn't answer and picked up her sub and took another bite.

"Stephanie?"

"Shedidn'texactly," Stephanie said with a full mouth.

Marylou waited for her to swallow, "Well what exactly did she say?"

Stephanie didn't meet her eyes and took a drink, "That her name was Natasha London and she had an appointment with Mr. Manoso."

"Stephanie Plum!" Marylou smacked the table with her hand.

"Well, the rest could be true. We used to play that game where we guessed the other person's life story, and seven times out of ten I was usually right. Once it was in my head it just sort of stuck there and then when they called her back first, it kept playing out in my head. They got married and had kids. They were like an international spy family. They were perfect together. Then I sort of had a panic attack and I left. You know the rest."

"So, you got scared, imagined some story that probably wasn't even true and ran out on an interview so you wouldn't ever know."

Stephanie looked at Marylou, "Know what?"

"What it's like to be completely in Ranger's life. All this time, you've been standing on the sidelines, not getting too involved. I always thought it was because of Joe, but then I figured if you and Joe were meant to be, you guys would work it out. You never did. Now Joe isn't an issue, you have no reason not to take this plunge, and you're scared."

"You said yourself, he's scary!"

"I only said that because I thought he had broken your heart. Look at the way he took care of you not even two weeks ago. That man loves you Stephanie and you love him and that scares you."

"He loves me in his own way."

"Well, his way seems pretty good to me. I know you're confused, but you need to take this step. You need to know for sure."

"What are you talking about?"

"If he's the one! If you worked for him full time, you would see him more, you would get involved in his life. Since you're not involved with anyone you wouldn't have to feel guilty about getting closer to him."

"I don't want to be a pity position. I want to pull my weight at Rangeman. I'm not sure I can."

"Stephanie Plum, you have been doing this job. You had no training what so ever in this field, but you've done it. Right along with the big boys. I know with all my heart that you can do it. Now you go back there and if you have to beg for another interview you do it. You might not be able to climb the rope, but you've always been able to find people. When we were little, no one wanted to have to be the hider, because you always found them. Now go, go find out if he is your man!"

* * *

"Thank you for agreeing to see me again, I apologize for leaving before."

Ranger motioned for her to take a seat, "I have fifteen minutes."

Stephanie nodded, "Right. I got a little nervous and intimidated before. I started doubting my abilities to work here. I questioned what exactly I had to offer you."

Ranger quirked an eyebrow.

Stephanie flushed, "You know what I mean. If you consider hiring me, I want it to be because you think I would be a benefit to your company. I can't climb a rope. I can't do martial arts. I'm iffy with my gun, but I have an uncanny ability in finding people. I'm good at seeking. I'm also loyal and trustworthy."

Ranger did another eyebrow quirk.

"Except today when I ran out. That wouldn't happen again."

"I already know your strengths and weaknesses Stephanie. However I do have a concern. You've worked for me twice before, and quit after a week or two. If I hire you and train you and then you leave, that not only costs me money, but it's wasted my time."

"That was only temporary before. It's not like I left you in a bind."

"I don't recall telling you that the position was only temporary."

"Ranger, we both knew it was. You were helping me out, I helped you out. It was temporary."

"Well, if I offer you the position, I would need to have a written commitment from you."

"Excuse me?"

Ranger opened a drawer on his desk and pulled out a contract. "One year. I would require you to sign a contract stating that you would be in my employment for one year, before you could leave."

Before she could talk herself out of it Stephanie said, "I could do that, if you thought I was qualified for the job. If you thought I was better suited for the position over Ms. London."

Ranger looked at her for a beat, "I didn't know you wanted to decorate. The position I had in mind for you was as my assistant."

Stephanie's heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest. She would definitely be involved in his life as his assistant. She would know more about Ranger than ever before. That both excited and terrified her. She still needed things cleared up on Natasha though. Just to get the whole imagined affair out of her mind. "Are you redecorating?"

Ranger shook his head, "No. The firm she works for did the building when we first opened. It was just a courtesy call, to see if we needed any updating."

Stephanie sighed in relief. Never had she been so happy to have been wrong about someone's life story.

"The job is yours Stephanie, if you want it. Like I said before, you would assist me. That includes assisting me at meetings, on job sites and when needed in the field. You will have to train and you will be required to carry your gun at all times. There will also be some traveling and long hours. I want you to be fully aware of what you're getting into, because if you sign, I will hold you to it."

Stephanie stared at him for a minute. Better to find out then always wonder what if. A lot could happen in a year. Good or bad. She felt sort of like she was joining the military, or a cult. She actually sort of felt like she did the moment before she jumped off that roof trying to fly. She rose from her chair and walked to his desk and held her hand out for the pen.

Ranger did a half smile and slid the contract over to her.

Stephanie signed on the dotted line, "Alright, I'm yours for the next year. Just so you know though, I still don't like getting arrested or shot, and I like the legal side of things."

Ranger picked up the contract and grinned, "You should have read the fine print before you signed Babe."

Probably, but she always did jump first. "I trust you."

"I trust you too Stephanie." The look he gave her let her know how important that was. That was more important to him than anything.

"I now have the time, so Professor Higgins is finally going to give Eliza the training he's wanted her to have all along. We're going to begin again Babe."

And now she was ready.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the Evanovich world.**

* * *

Pain. That was the first thing Stephanie was aware of. Her head was splitting, her body was aching, she wasn't even completely sure she could open her eyes. She struggled to figure out what had happened to her. She had been working for Rangeman for a few weeks now. She had gone to work that morning, left at 5:00, and had come straight home. Then some taps on her door and a call of pizza delivery. It wasn't hers; probably they got her number mixed up again with Mr. Walowitz next door. She had opened the door to tell the delivery guy and he sucker punched her before she realized who he was. Then he proceeded to try to beat her to death. She managed to crack one eye open, the other appeared to be swollen shut. Thankfully he appeared to be gone. She was alone and she needed help.

Trying to turn to the side triggered a gasp. Her ribs screamed in protest. Her mouth was filled with the coopery taste of blood. She felt like she was going to pass out again. Her side was killing her, her leg felt like it was on fire and her arm was probably broken given the fact that she remembered him jumping on it. There was a crack, and a scream tore from her lips and she must have lost consciousness after that.

She tried to inch her way towards the phone that was lying on her couch. Her apartment was small and it was only a few feet, but it felt like it was miles away. By the time she was on her third scoot across the floor, she was drenched in sweat and freezing at the same time. The pain made her nauseous and she turned her head to the side just as the vomit ran out of her mouth. So this was it. She was going to die alone in her own blood and vomit. This wasn't even skip related. She was a personal assistant for Ranger now. No more bounty hunting mishaps for her. The last thought before she passed out again was that she had never even told Ranger how much she loved working with him.

She wasn't for sure how long she had laid there when she heard a voice muffled in the fog of her brain, "I need help, my neighbor's fallen and she can't get up!"

Stephanie kept falling in and out of consciousness. The next coherent thought she had was that they needed to know who did this to her, just in case she didn't make it. She managed to gasp out the name of Mrs. Carter's grandson to the EMT.

* * *

Ranger looked at the blood and vomit smeared floor in disgust, knowing what Stephanie had gone through. He could tell where she had started her struggle to try to reach the phone. As his eyes took in the disarray of her apartment, he could picture in his mind how everything unfolded. The first blow had knocked her into the side table over turning it. She was muddled from the hit and possibly had even struck her head on the floor with the fall. He closed his eyes as he pictured how the punk had kicked and punched her body. The rage was building its way to the surface and he hit the pillows on the couch as a stream of curses left his mouth. That would have to suffice for a few more hours. Thomas Carter was laying low at a dealer's house near Stark. He would eventually come out and Ranger would find him.

He pushed back his aggravation at Stephanie for not informing him about the run in with her neighbor's grandson and her statement to police of witnessing the man attack his grandmother trying to get money from her. Had he have known there would have been a guard detail on Stephanie, and this would have never happened in the first place. Stephanie was the one who had suffered though and soon so would Thomas. Ranger grabbed a mop bucket and sponge from under the sink and filled it with cleaner. As he scrubbed the vomit and blood from the floor, he made himself focus on happier times to calm down. He thought of every happy moment he had ever experienced in this apartment with Stephanie. Unfortunately there were more bad experiences now then good and he was going to do his best to make sure she never spent another night here again. After the floor was clean he went back and straightened up everything that had been ransacked and broken. It was his way of trying to erase what had happened to Steph. When he was satisfied that it was the best it was going to be, he grabbed Rex's cage off of the counter and turned the lights out.

* * *

Stephanie grabbed the TV remote with her good hand and flipped through the few channels on the hospital's television. She was stiff and sore and her back ached from lying too long. She would probably have to stay one more day since the doctor was concerned the monstrosity of a bruise on her leg might develop into a blood clot. Ranger had stopped by briefly while her family and Mary Lou were visiting. The small room was packed and he told her he would come back later. Then Connie and Lula had come by. After they left some of the Merry Men dropped in and then several of Trenton's finest including Joe. He didn't say much, but Stephanie knew him well enough to know that he was thankful he was no longer semi attached to her, because trouble seemed to find her around every corner. Even when she was doing the right thing, it still managed to blow up in her face.

Now that she was alone in her room she was starting to get restless. She hated hospitals. She picked up the Sudoku book that Connie had brought for her and tried for a few minutes to figure out exactly how this was supposed to be fun. Then she felt that familiar tingle and looked up to see Ranger standing in the door way. She felt instant relief as soon as she saw him. She had only been left alone for an hour at the most, but it wasn't the same as if he had been there. She wasn't use to this needy feeling, but that's what it was. She needed him, he was the one who brought her comfort and made her feel safe.

He walked over to the side of her bed and placed several butterfly soft kisses over the cuts and bruises on her face. It was so tender it made her want to cry and a small sob escaped. He sat a gift bag on the table beside of her bed, and pulled the tray across placing a chocolate milkshake on it. He pulled the top off and opened a plastic wrapped spoon and fed her a small bite. When she felt like she could talk without bursting into tears, she told him that the doctor thought her teeth would tighten back up. Then she told him how Lester said he could cut her swollen eye like Rocky's trainer did, but she declined saying she could wait a few more days for it to open on its own. Then she broke down and apologized for getting her ass kicked, yet again. She cried and told him she would understand if he wanted to fire her, since she wouldn't be able to do her job fully for a while.

"Shh, Babe. I'm not going to fire you because you got hurt. I hate that you've had to go through this and I do wish you had told me about the incident with the Carter's, so I could have tried to prevent this from happening, but it's over now."

"I know, but I honestly didn't think he would do anything to me. When I yelled at him he ran off, and I called an ambulance for Mrs. Carter because when he slapped her she fell and we couldn't get her back up."

Ranger already knew the entire story by now, but he let Stephanie tell him her side of things. She had heard the raised voices as she rounded the corner and saw Thomas slap his grandmother knocking her down. Stephanie yelled, he grabbed his grandmother's purse and ran and Stephanie had called for help. Mrs. Carter was now in a rehabilitation center for a broken hip. Stephanie had given her statement to the police and the next day at work had just forgotten to mention it.

Ranger remembered perfectly how busy they had been that day and he could see how Stephanie had pushed it aside. It was done and over with now, so they just needed to move on. And he had no doubt she would. She would heal, hopefully be a little more cautious, and she would go on like nothing had happened. He wouldn't say Stephanie was so much a fighter as she was a survivor and that was one of the things he admired the most about her.

When Stephanie had talked herself out, he fed her half of the milkshake before he started. He didn't want to over whelm her so he'd let the sugar work its magic.

"I'll have your desk moved into my office, that way you won't have to make any trips back and forth. We'll schedule as many meetings by phone as we can and I'll handle the rest on my own until you're healed."

Stephanie looked at him for a minute, "I'll drive you nuts being that close in your personal space."

Ranger shrugged a shoulder, "I like you close and personal. I want you in my space. I would also like you to live in my building."

Stephanie was already shaking her head no, so he had to sell this quickly.

"Babe, how many bad things have to happen to you there before you move? It's not safe and it's not healthy to keep staying there. You can only have so many bad incidents at one place before it starts affecting your well-being. That's how I knew when it was time to leave the Army. I have an empty apartment sitting right there in my building. You could sleep an hour later every morning not having to commute. You would still have your privacy and space, what's the problem?"

"Ranger, I don't know."

Ranger picked up her hand and kissed the palm, "Babe, you can only have so many bad incidents in that apartment before it affects my well- being. I won't be able to sleep if I know you are still living there. I don't ask for much from you, but this is important to me. Please."

"That's dirty. Your guilt trip is right up there with my mother's."

He didn't answer her; he just picked up the spoon and started feeding her again. By the last bite she agreed.

He picked up the Sudoku and grinned, "You enjoy this?"

Stephanie huffed, "You know I don't."

Ranger raised an eyebrow at her and reached over to the gift bag and pulled out a large DC Comics coloring book and the biggest box of crayons she had ever seen.

"You think you'd enjoy this more?"

Stephanie snorted and then grimaced from the pain in her face and mouth.

Ranger flipped through the coloring book and tore out a picture of Wonder Woman. Stephanie thought he was giving it to her to color but he laid it to the side and scooted his chair closer to the tray. He laid the book in front of Stephanie and she used her good hand to turn the pages. If he was coloring Wonder Woman, she was coloring Batman.

At first she was too entertained watching Ranger color. Then she became engrossed as he used the black crayon to scribble over Wonder Woman's hair and then he meticulously looked at the different brown crayons in the box, choosing bittersweet and regular brown to make a similar shade to her own hair. With the black scribbles it gave the effect of curls.

She was just starting to work on Batman's cape on her own page when he lifted her head up and studied her face When he seemed to find what he was looking for, he tucked her hair behind her ears and leaned up and brushed his lips back and forth across hers, giving her the barest of kisses being ever so careful of her swollen busted mouth. He sat back down in his chair and went back to looking through the box of colors.

Her heart was thumping so loud in her chest she was afraid he would be able to hear it. Luckily she wasn't attached to a heart monitor anymore, or that would be embarrassing. That was most definitely the best kiss she had ever experienced. She looked the worst and felt the worst she ever had in her life, but when he kissed her she had never felt more loved and cherished in her entire existence. She went back to watching him choose a cerulean and cornflower blue and intently color and shade the eyes.

Oh she loved him. She loved, loved, scary loved him. She thought for a second she was going to have an anxiety attack. He was the real thing. This was the real deal, he had loved her richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, for sure he had loved her for better or worse. There had been far worse than better. She had to tell him how she felt. She swallowed and willed the words to come out of her mouth. They felt like they would be the most important words she would ever say.

The fact that he was her boss now and soon to be landlord didn't make this easy. They were in an odd place in their relationship. Relationship, they were in one. A very complex one. What if she was reading him wrong, and she was making more out of all of this then he actually felt.

What if, what if… that was the question? While she was having her biggest life's dilemma, Ranger was finishing up his picture. When he was finished, he slid it over to her. Only Ranger would be able to find a way to truly make her into Wonder Woman or turn Wonder Woman into her.

What if? She grabbed a black crayon and drew a bubble out from her mouth on the page and wrote, I LOVE YOU RANGER. She wrote in capitals to emphasize how much, and ended it with a period to represent the seriousness. She didn't want it to come across as I LOVE YOU RANGER! My pal. This was I LOVE YOU RANGER. Scary love. She mentally yelled at herself to _use your words Stephanie_, he deserves it. She fought to keep her good eye opened and looked at him and said, "I love you."

She wasn't sure what reaction he would have, but he just smiled at her and said, "I know you do Babe, I love you too."

She mentally counted off the seconds. When she got to ten Mississippi and he hadn't said in my own way she started breathing again.

He glanced at her picture and saw that she wasn't even half way finished with it yet. "You want to finish that tomorrow?"

Stephanie nodded and handed him the black and grey crayon to stick back in the box. She thought he was getting ready to go when he folded the chair out that he had been sitting in to make a bed.

"I'm going to grab a pillow and blanket from the nurses' station and make a phone call and I'll be back."

"You're staying tonight?"

"Yes."

"But, you have an onsite meeting scheduled for nine. You won't be able to sleep well in that chair." She had no idea why she was trying to discourage him when she wanted him to stay right by her side.

"I canceled it. I told them I had a family emergency. I'll sleep just fine, Babe. I'll be right back."

She folded the picture he had colored and placed it in the front of the coloring book. She didn't want to chance it getting messed up. She was keeping it forever. She lay back against her pillow, feeling a contentment she had never known. She was his family and he loved her. Life was good. Well aside from the ass kicking she had endured.

* * *

Ranger walked down to the small family waiting room at the end of the hall, glad that it was empty. He sat down in the chair and dialed Tank.

"Yeah."

"Yo, I need a couple of construction crews to come in and knock out a wall on five in between conference room 3 and the storage closet. I want them to turn it into another studio. I want them around the clock because I need it ready in three days." He figured he could convince Stephanie to stay on seven for a couple of nights while she was recovering. "Pass the word around that it has been sitting empty for a while now."

Tank was silent for a few seconds before he said, "Will do. Thomas Carter was brought into a hospital in Pennsylvania. He's going to be there for an extended stay."

Ranger grinned, "I would imagine so."

"He's not saying who did it."

"He won't." Ranger heard Tank's deep chuckle, "Cops figure with his rep and all that it was drug related. That and they just don't care."

"I'll check in tomorrow."

"Night man. Tell Steph we'll see her tomorrow."

"Will do."

Tank's deep chuckle came through the phone, "You goin soft man."

"How many broken bones did he have?"

Tank was silent for a beat, "More than wasn't."

"Right. She wouldn't have wanted it Tank."

"No, I guess she wouldn't. If it don't work to rehabilitate, you can still always terminate. It'll be good to have that empty apartment finally filled. I'm glad Steph is coming home."

Ranger disconnected and walked back to Steph's room. It had taken a little over three years, but she was now a part of Rangeman and now she would be living in his building. It wasn't exactly home, but If all went well, by the end of the year she would be living with him in his apartment.

They were getting there.


End file.
